One Blood
by silentvendetta
Summary: Bobby Mercer is just out of jail and on his way home with his exspecting sister when they get the horrifying news of their mothers demise. Can he keep his tattered family together long enough to fix everything or will it all be crash and burn?   Bobby oc
1. Opener

Two years later…

"Bobby, up." Susan's small hands reached up for me.

"Alright then," I said to Elle and picked up Susan. "Where next?"

"Well there's a house on forth up ahead."

"Wanna jus go home?"

"No, Bobby, I wanna get more candy." Susan screeched from my shoulders.

"Oh!" Elle clutched her stomach.

"Wha, what's wrong?"

"Whoa, ow!"

"Ok, uh, wanna go to the hospital?"

"Wait, wait it's just the baby kicking." She smiled.

"Jus da baby, Bobby," Susan patted my head, "Dis house now."

I lifted her from my shoulders and watched her race off, the tail of her costume jerking from left to right, toward the brightly-lit stairs of the next house. Children scurried past in huddled groups; super heroes here, monsters there, a scattered few odd balls down the street. All of them safely scurrying toward house porches and past ghostly yards to collect heaving mounds of candy. Elle hooked her thumb through one of my belt buckles and leaned into my other shoulder. Draping my arm around her I drank in her sweat scent of blooming Lilacs and in the dark placed a kiss on her silky head of hair. After her first month of pregnancy she began to smell that way, so fresh, so new, so happy. She was now in her last weeks and the lilacs were in full bloom. We'd never asked what it would be and we really didn't want to know, at least not yet.

"Bobby, I need my other bucket now." Susan smiled, trying her best not to spill any candy as she crossed the street back to us.

"Pumpkin or ghost?"

"Uh, which one Elle?" She held them up in admiration.

"The ghost one matches your costume, sweetie."

"Ok, I'm goin over der now." She pointed.

"Don't leave this street, Ok?" I watched as she nodded before turning and racing off toward another house.

"Christ, her teeth are gonna rot from her head." Elle looked up at me, "Im not kiddin'."

We took a seat on a bench beside the sidewalk and my mind drifted toward dreams of our new family. Like I said before, it didn't matter, boy or girl, we'd love it just the same. One of the most important things ma taught me, love a kid cause who ther are not what they are or who they could become.

"What chha thinkin bout?" Elle muttered, resting her head on my shoulder.

I watched Susan run from house to house, curls bouncing as she ran. Tears burned the back of my eyes, yearning to burst out but the man in me held back. Elle laced her fingers in mine and clutched them tight, her wedding ring clinking against my high school one. The tears were now forgotten and the man in me smiled with pride.

"I just want you guys safe…I'd turn myself in before id let anyone hurt you."

In the dark I clutched her to me, her buttermilk skin shone bright against my dark clothes. I sat thinking to myself, wondering how I could go from losing a brother and a mother, to having a wife with a baby on the way. A scream shattered the peaceful silence and was soon followed by the screeching of tiers. Hurriedly I looked through the now still children but Susan was nowhere to be found. Fearing the worst I ran toward our pick-up and dove in. Elle picked up on the situation as quick as I did and shuffled toward the truck. The pick-up was new and much faster than the raggedy car with my golden haired angle inside. She sat in the back of the car kicking and throwing candy at the driver, yet he paid no attention and kept on driving. I could see the dead end coming up, the driver must have been from out of town, everyone knows that Ruelly street is a dead end. It was then that Susan caught sight of us in the pick-up. Quickly I signaled for her to get down and she disappeared from sight. Gripping the steering wheel, my hands meshing with the leather around it. My foot became lead, weighing down the gas peddle until it was digging into the floor. The lightweight car crumpled as my heavy-duty 4x4-duel engine truck rammed into its rear, causing it skid and take out a fence before jerking itself to a halt. Jumping out of the cab I pulled a crowbar from under the seat.

"Let her out of the fuckin' car!" I screamed.

There was a pause and no movement from the driver. Susan scrambled from her hiding place and pounded on the car doors window. Crowbar hanging tense by my side I took a few steps toward the car.

"Open her door!" I raised the crowbar as if it were a bat, "LET HER OUT!"

I swung the crowbar into the driver's window, shattering it down the side of his face. Reaching in I unlocked the doors allowing Susan to run straight into Elle's arms. Then I wrapped my arm around the kidnappers neck and jerked him from the car. Throwing him to the ground I let a few hard blows to his ribs. Aggressively he returned releasing a jab on my jaw line and then to my eye. While I leaned back he wiggled from under me and broke off running. Slowly rising to my feet I had enough time to catch a final glimpse of him sprinting toward Mauberry Street. Letting out a curse I walked back to the sobbing Susan. Taking her from Elle I cradled her to me, letting her sobs fill my ears.

"Its ok now, its ok. Shhh…you're ok now." I kissed a tear from her cheek and patted her golden head.

"Don't let dem get me, Bobby, don't let dem get me." She hugged my neck as Elle looked at me with a worried look.

Soon she fell asleep and I was able to place her back in the truck. By this time Elle had called Rathers to tell him to bring the tow-truck and I had had time to comfort her as well. When he eventually arrived I told Elle to go on home and to wake up Angle anm tell him what happened so that he could watch the house untill i got home. After they drove off we loaded the car and towed it to the garage. For an hour or so we worked silently, digging through the heaps of filth in the car before we actually got our first piece of evidence. A wallet jammed into the bottom cushion of the divers seat chair.

"Bobby." Rathers held it up, "We got him."

I jerked it from his hand, "John Parker?"

"Parker, we know some Parkers."

"Yeah his brothers the lil shit that I took down for fuckin with me an my brothers last spring."

* * *

_**Wanna know who Elle an Susan are? Wanna know why Bobby really took out John Parkers brother? Do they catch him? An who the hell is Rathers anyway? If you wanna know the answers i first want at least 10 reviews telling me if you love or hate it. Its the only way youll know what happed before and after this skit.**_


	2. Chapter 1

I stepped into the warm air outside Ms.Evelyns house and slunkeded down onto the back steps. Me, she wanted me for a son…me. I laughed awkwardly and drug a hand through my hair as I heard the door behind me swing open and then softly close. I barely cocked my head around in time to see Millie slide down on the steps beside me.

"She asked you too, huh?"

I looked sideways at her, "Yeah, you?"

"Yeah…Guess us outcasts do get a home, huh." She pulled a pack of smokes from her pocket, "Want one?"

I shook my head as she lit up, "Who else?"

"Uh, Jack, Jerry, an Angel."

"It fits." I saw her nod, "I mean in the end she's only taking us cause were fucked up right?"

"You could say that. Or you could actually admit that someone gives a damn about us for once." She leaned into my shoulder, "Come on, Bobby, how long we been here, huh?"

"Six months."

"An before that?"

"Two other foster homes."

"Yeah, so that's like," She took a drag and blew it out the side of her mouth, "almost three years. We're already practically family, me an you."

She got up and flicked the cigarette down at my feet before crushing it into the ground with her toe of her shoe. I looked up at her as she reached down with a grin and ruffled my hair. Anyone else I would of killed, anyone else but her.

I shrugged her away and shook my hair back into place, "Man, why you gotta do that?"

"Oh don't be a hard ass. Now get inside an thank the woman." She kicked at me when I didn't get up, "Bobby, you don't want me to make you, now come on."

"Alright I'm comin'." I grinned and followed her inside.

My new brothers and my new mother where all waiting in the kitchen when we walked in through the laundry room. I paused at the door for a moment and watched as Millie walked in beside Ms.Evelyn to loop an arm around her waist. I walked up to them and we all embraced in a swaying six-person hug. At that moment I was the happiest I had ever been in my sixteen years of existence.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Shaking the memories from my head, I swung my feet around so they hung off the edge of the bunk. Juno was leaning back against the post of his bed with a smoke hanging from his mouth.

"Mail comes today."

He nodded at me with a grin, "Yeah, spectin' somethin?"

"I dunno, the usual I guess." I stretched and jumped down in front of our cell door, "Hey, Terry, you got me some mail or what, man?"

"Mercer, you don't keep your mouth shut, you're not gonna get your mail till next week." A beefy day guard at the end of the hall yelled back.

"Bull shit ya fat ass fairy fuck."

Terry got up in a cocky motion and strutted down to me. I heard Juno come up beside me as the fat man halted across the bars in front of us.

"You getting' cocky with me Mercer?"

"Maybe I am. What chu gonna do, huh?"

"Yeah, white boy what chu gonna do, huh?" Juno mumbled from behind me and folded his arms firmly.

His eyes scrunched as I cocked a grin but the door at the end of the hall opened and another guard walked in with a stack of letters in his hands.

"Carson, Louis, Bradley, Johnson, Franklin, Newman." He stopped at our cell beside Terry, "Mercer an Thadwell. Looks like you got two taday, Mercer."

The two walked off as we leaned against the bars and flipped through our mail. There was one from Ma and one from Millie but I opened the one from Ma first. She wrote about how she couldn't wait to see me and the family all together again but didn't forget to mention that I'd better haul my ass home this time. I opened the second and noticed Millie's sloppy handwriting as soon as I unfolded it. It looked like she'd written it quickly and as I read through I found out why. Juno looked up from his mail at me as he saw the smirk grow on my face.

"What?" He grinned and elbowed me.

"Millie's comin' to pick me up tomorrow."

"Your lil sis?"

"Yeah."

The day war on forever an I barley slept that night but at eleven am sharp the next day I stood waiting. Terry was at the end of the hall as usual, trying to ignore me until the last possible moment. As I left, Juno and I clasped hands and bumped shoulders.

"You come see when you get out, alright."

"Yeah, brother, I'll look ya up." He held up a peace sign as I turned down the hall, "Peace, brother."

As they let me out the of the prison gates I saw Millie leaning on the hood of a car with her back to me. When I called out her name she turned with a smile and placed a hand on her stomach with that cocked grin that I knew she'd learned from me. Her stomach was swollen so big that it looked like it was about to explode.

"Damn, Millie, why didn't you tell me bout this?" I stretched my arms out and pulled her to me. "Its good to see ya sis."

"You too, Bobby, you too."

Pushing her back I held her at arms length, "Now whose baby is this?"

"Bobby-" She laughed.

"Millie, is he takin' care of you?"

"Bobby, you know me I ain't got no man."

"Then whose baby is it an I'll beat his ass for not takin' responsi-"

"God I missed you, Bobby." She hugged me again.

"Millie…"

"Don't worry about it, Bobby." She let me go and climbed into the passenger side of the car. "Don't mind driving do you? I'm kinda tired."

"Naw, Millie, I'm gonna make my pregnant baby sis drive all the way back to Detroit." I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. "So how ya been?"

"Pregnant is how I been." She stretched out and put her feet in my lap. "Ya know I drove all the way here without stoppin'."

"I coulda found my own way back ya know."

"Yeah well, Ma an me weren't so sure."

I patted her feet and gunned us toward the highway, "How's she been, Ma I mean?"

"Good. Excited about you guys coming home an the baby of course."

"Yeah?"

"I think she wants her as much I do."

"Her? You promised me you'd give me a nephew first."

"Well I guess I _lied_." She stuck out her tongue.

I laughed, "How far ya got left?"

"A month or so, a December baby, hopefully."

She jabbered on about the baby until she finally drifted off into sleep, curled on the seat beside me. It felt so good to be driving home with her and not alone, of course I had no intention of telling her that but what the hell. At eight, about an hour out from Detroit, the gas tank groaned and begged me to pull off to buy it a drink. The little station was raggedy and reminded me of the home I wanted to get back to so badly. When I pulled up, there was a group of rough looking teens crowded around the corner of the store. I smirked as they gave me a once over while I pumped the gas, Id been them and now it seemed funny as hell. As the gas clicked off, a woman in waitresses uniform stepped out of the store and attempted to scurry past the teens to her car, but one stepped in her way and bucked his chin. I watched as he reached out, jerked her purse from her arm and pulled a nights worth of tips out of it. He smirked and kissed the wad before dropping the purse to the ground at his feet. I saw him mouth the words 'pick it up' as two of his friends stood up beside her. Sitting the gas hose head back in the pump, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my coat and staggered over to them. Just as she was about to reach down to get the purse, I snatched it from the ground.

"Here you go, ma'am." I handed it to her.

She looked up at me confused and thanked me with her eyes before scurrying away. Just as she got to her car I reached out and yanked the money from the kid kings hands.

"Ma'am," She turned around, "this is yours."

Slowly she walked over and took it from me with yet another hidden thank you. Before she got back to her car, two teens closed in and blocked off her escape while the kid king stared me down.

"You best be getting' my money back, white boy." He snarled.

"That how it gonna be, huh?" I smirked.

"What you got to be smirkin' bout? _Yeah_, dats how its gonna be."

The woman looked back at me with a terrified look, "I don't think you wanna be pissin' me off, right now. Why don't you let her go, huh?"

"Naw, man, I think I wanna be pissin' ya off. Ya hur me?"

I smirked again before slowly taking off my coat and exposed the tattoos littered up my arms, most importantly the one on the inside of my forearm that I got back in state pin. Rolling my neck I let it crack before clinching my fists, causing the veins in my arms to raise from the skin. The kid kings face slightly dropped and he swallowed hard but never took a step back.

"What chu got old man?" He bucked his chin again and the remaining teens crowded around me.

"You really wanna play that game with me right now?" Without a second thought he lunged at me, "_Alright then_."

Grabbing him I turned him around and put him in a headlock. Kicking out his knee I dropped him to the ground facing the waitress but kept a steady hold on his throat. As one of his homeboys tried to grab me I pulled the gun from his waist and swung it around at each of the teens. The woman looked down at me in shock with her eyes wide in a mixture of terror and fright.

"Apologize." I screamed in the kid kings ear.

"What?" He barley hissed out.

I jerked his head, "You heard me."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry what?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am!"

"It-it's alright." She sputtered.

A single tear slid down his face, "Don't kill me, man."

I laughed and let him go, "I ain't gonna kill you."

He crawled to the feet of one of his friends and stumbled up beside him, "Then wha-"

"BOBBY!" I turned to see Millie stomping toward us.

"Aw shit." I fell back on my butt and picked up my coat.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" She pushed through the crowd like they were nothing.

"I was jus-"

"Shut up. Where the fuck did you get a gun?!" She jerked me up from the ground and took the gun. "Christ, Bobby, I fall asleep for one second and you're out scaring the shit out of a bunch of kids."

The kid king jerked his head back, "Whoa now-" 

"_Excuse me_," She jerked her head toward him and popped back her own head, "I was NOT talking to you Mr.Im-A-Lil-Gangster. I will get to your sorry ass in a minute." I laughed as his head popped back again and she turned back to me, "Why, Bobby? Why?"

"I was jus trying to-" I thumbed at the waitress.

"To what, get back into your old habits?"

"Miss, your husband was just trying to-" The waitress said shyly.

"Oh he is _not_ my husband."

"Well you're friend here was just trying to help me."

"Oh." She looked shocked.

I shrugged, "See, I was bein' good."

"Oh shut up, you were not." She turned around. "Just get in the car for Christ sake."

"Can I pay first or do you want me not to?"

She gave me an annoyed look as I held up my hands and walked into the store to pay. An awkward little oriental man stood behind the counter.

"You not do that to me eh tough guy."

"Naw, I'm not gonna do that to you." I wandered through the tiny store.

"Good, I not call cops." He looked out at Millie yelling at the teens. "Your wife crazy as you."

"Yeah, yeah she is." I grabbed a bar of chocolate and a case of beer before walking up to the counter. "I got gas, too."

"It is on house. Little punks not bother me now cause you." He smiled.

I pulled on my coat, "Thanks but she'd think I stole this junk if I don't."

"Don't tell her. I never tell my wife anything."

"That right? Well thanks, man."

I walked out of the store in time to see the waitress safely drive off. Millie stood stiffly, still yelling at the boys. Shaking my head I started to the car.

"Millie, come on."

"Bobby, don't you-" I held up the chocolate bar, "Oh, Bobby, gimmie that." She waddled after me.

"Get in the car." I slid in the drivers side.

She jumped into her side, "I'm in, I'm in, now give it."

I cracked open a beer and headed back out onto the interstate. After the few moments that it took her to eat the chocolate, her phone rang and she dug around to find it.

She picked it up with a grin, "Oh hey Jer. I got Bobby an we-" Her face dropped, "Jerry, what's wrong?…Jerry, slow down…What?" Her voice turned to a whisper as she started to cry. "But I-I was just with her."

I screeched to a halt and looked her over, "What's wrong, Millie?" I pulled her to me as she dropped the phone and started to wail, "Millie…"

"It's mom, she-she's dead, Bobby, she's dead."

"What?"

"I dunno they just found her at the store. Someone _killed_ her, Bobby, someone _killed_ mom."

I hugged her to me and felt her tears begin to soak my shirt. The shock hit me like a wave and for a moment I couldn't breathe but when I did the tears fell like rain. Trying not to sob I buried my face in her hair as the cars swerved around us in blurs honking their horns.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

We drove the rest of the way home in silence until she asked to pull over so we could change clothes. But after that not a word. Driving through snow covered Detroit gave me the exact opposite feeling that I had been hoping for, for the past few years in lock-up. The service was down at our old church and as Millie and I waded through the mob of people, we clasped hands. Jack and Jerry meet us just before the door. Jacks face was damp with tears as he grasped me in a hug as if he'd die with out it. This was not the way I wanted to finally be back with my family. As we continued back to the funeral, Jack walked next to my side that Millie hadn't captured and Jerry followed up at my back. They circled around me like they wanted my protection. Almost as if they thought that since I was home every thing was going to be ok. At the end of the funeral, Jack stood up to say his speech and it hurt me just as much to watch him as it did to know that id just lost my mother. Through it all Millie never let go of my hand not even when I rose to comfort Jack nor when she stood at the podium to give her own speech.

"My parents never even gave me a chance and I was their own flesh and blood. But as soon as I got to Mrs.Evelyns house, she showed me more love than anyone ever had. I'd test her every day to see if she was really gonna keep me. Bobby and me we, uh, we would intently do something bad like get beat up other kids and steal things but she kept with us. Never once did she quit on us. One day when she finally got me away from Bobby she told me, 'Sweetie, you don't have to do something bad to get me to pay attention to you an Bobby, I love you both, an I'm not goin anywhere.' She was the first person to ever actually…to ever…" She turned around and buried her face in my chest as the tears kept her from speaking.

I kissed her forehead and spoke over her shoulder to the crowd, "You know, Mom was never big on goodbyes, so thank you all for comin god bless you."

After the service Millie and I followed Jerry back to his house. Slowly I climbed from the car and went to the passenger's side to help Millie out. As we passed the car with two cops in it I heard them mutter something about Millie attacking a teacher when we were in high school and I pulled in into my side before continuing on across the street to Jack where he was trying to light a smoke.

"Hey" I grasped the back of his neck, "You alright?" He nodded with a sniffle, "You sure?" I ruffled his hair. "You know I love you, man."

"Hey Jackie." Millie leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Damn, Millie, you're huge." He cupped his hands on her stomach and smiled.

"Come on, let's go see, Jerry."

They followed me up Jerry's driveway to where he stood with a bunch of Ma's old friends. As they scurried away he turned to us and passed around hugs.

"How ya doin, baby?" I smiled when we clasped hands and bumped shoulders.

"Cool."

"Nice house, man. Not bad at all."

He turned and did the same to Jack. "What's up, kiddo?" Come on, man. Gimme a hug, man."

Jack coughed out smoke with a smile as Jerry squeezed him in a hug.

"You gonna skip over me, huh." Millie smiled.

"Gurl, I saw you jus the other day." He smiled and hugged her too. "You need me to take you to that appointment on Friday?"

"Naw I'll find a ride." She looked over at me.

"Aw hell no, I ain't doin no baby shit. No."

"He'll take me."

"Yeah I know." Jerry pushed past Jack and me to his front door but turned on his toes with a grin, "Do you remember when I built that tree house and you burnt the shit down?"

"Awwhawhaw, come on, man" I threw back my head laughing.

"Boy, I wanted to kick your ass, man."

"Don't worry, your house is brick." I patted the wall. "I ain't gonna burn it down."

"Well now, yeah." He turned around to Jack as we all reached the door, "Oh, yeah, yeah." He swatted away the cigarette. "No smokin in my house so you're gonna have to put that out. Sorry."

Jack looked back at me with a 'What the fuck?' look on his face but I just smiled and shrugged. As Jack and Millie followed me through the kitchen to the back yard, Jerry stopped and talked to Camille. Outside there were various people crowded around but in the very center Jerry's two daughters stood with a dog.

"Hey there. You must be Daniela." Jack squatted and stuck out his hand.

"Look how big you guys are." I followed him down and scratched the dogs chin. "And you must be Amelia. Nice dress, Amelia."

"I'm Amelia." The smallest girl laughed and pointed to herself.

"I know. You guys probably don't remember us, but I'm your Uncle Bobby," I pointed to myself and then Jack, "and this is Cracker Jack."

Millie kicked my thigh, "Don't teach them that, Bobby."

"You're not my uncle. You're white." Daniela pointed to us.

"Grandma Evey's white." Amelia looked up at her.

"Yeah, see, we're a different kind of uncle. Your grandma, she adopted me an Uncle Jack, like she did your daddy."

Amelias head snapped toward the side of the house and she stretched out a mittened finger, "You're a policeman!"

"You're so smart." I said before rising from the ground.

"That's right, and you're all under arrest, so don't nobody move." The little girls ran off. "Hey where y'all goin?"

"What about me, Green? You gonna arrest me too?"

"All depends, Bobby. You keepin' straight?"

"Straight-ish."

"I know, man. How ya doin', man?"

"Good to see you." We clasped hands and bumped shoulders.

"Jack."

"Green." He and Green clasped hands.

"Sorry bout your mom, brother. Give me some love." They bumped shoulders. As he turned to Millie I saw Greens eyes rest on her for a moment longer than he had with me or Jack. "How ya doin, Millie?"

"Alright as I can be." They clasped in a hug and I saw a tear slide down her cheek.

"You call if you need anything alright." He squeezed her and let go.

"Yeah, Green, yeah." She sniffed and avoided my eyes.

"Thanks for comin, Green. Mom would've been happy you made it to the service."

"Shit, your mom would've been happy you made it back for her funeral."

"I didn't come back for no funeral."

The weasely looking cop next to Green turned and looked at him before turning back to me. "Thanks for the offer, but we got it under control."

"Yeah. You know, I could tell by the look of things when I drove in. The place looks completely different. Detroit's finest finally cleaned things up, huh?"

"Yeah, be easy, Bobby. We got these punks. Kid playin' basketball across the street witnessed two gangbangers runnin' in there, shootin' up the place-"

I threw my head sideways, "Come on, Green. I used to make a good livin' round here cause cops like you guys couldn't find tit's in a strip joint. Why don't you just come inside, have some coffee and some donuts, ant then take your boy an get the fuck out of here, ok? Go on."

As the two followed Jack, I stayed behind and grabbed Millie by her elbow as she started to follow them. I looked over her face searching for an answer but she turned away from me.

"Green? You fucked, Green?" She didn't answer, "He's the father?"

"Bobby-" She pleaded and looked around.

"Com'mon Millie. _Green_?"

"He was here wasn't he? Where were you when I needed you, huh?" She hissed out the words and glared at me, "You left me here, Bobby. You said you'd always take care of me an then you jus up an leave."

"Right, Millie, blame me cause you fucked a cop."

"He's a good guy, Bobby. The only one beside you guys that made me feel safe." She looked down at her feet, "You have no idea what it was like for me without you. You have no idea the things I've done."

"Wait. What'ta you mean, the things you've done?"

"Never mind, Bobby, just forget it." She started to walk away.

"Millie!" I yanked her around by her elbow again. "Tell me."

She looked at me, her eyes cold and empty, "Just forget I said anything Bobby."

Before I could protest she pulled away from me and walked into the house. Jack was on the way out and I saw her shake her head as he passed her by. When he reached me he handed over one of the steaming mugs he was carrying.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I dunno, Jackie, I dunno. But I sure as hell am gonna find out." I took a swig of what I thought was coffee, "Shit, Jack, what is this?"

He grinned, "Your morning special. Bourbon an coffee."

I grinned back at him and hugged his neck with my free arm, "Aww, little brother, you do love me. But I gotta be honest," I took another swig, "you sounded like such a fag right there it was crazy."

"Bobby-"

"Com'mon, baby brother, I love you, you can tell me, I don't care."

As the sun started to seep beyond the house we all headed back to Ma's house. Jack rode with Jerry but Millie still rode with me without protest. Through almost the entire ride neither of us spoke until we got within five minutes of the house.

"So you're not gonna talk to me, huh?" She looked over at me when I didn't answer, "Com'mon, Bobby."

"I jus don't get why you can't tell me what the fuck is wrong."

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. Why can't you just forget it?"

"Naw, I'm not gonna forget it. You're my baby sister an my best friend, I got a right to know what the fuck is wrong."

"If I'm such a great friend an such I great sister then why didn't you take me with you?"

I was silent for a moment, "It wasn't safe where I was goin."

"But it was safe to leave me here with all your problems at my feet."

"What?"

"All the people that hated you came after me to see where you was. I finally get them fended off an then all the people that hated me found out that you left and weren't comin back so they settled their scores."

I swallowed hard, "You're fine."

"Yeah, now. Only cause I got Green on my side in time."

"We're Mercers, police hate us."

"Boy, you know Greens liked me since we were kids. He could never hate me even if you are my brother."

"Alright, alright that still ain't nothin horrible, cept fuckin a cop. But still, how does that measure up to you sayin' I have no idea the things you've done?"

"This baby…" She looked down and acted like she wasn't going to continue.

"This baby what?"

"Look after pissin off all the wrong people, it's hard to find work. So I had to get a job uptown at Smily's, you know the one."

"So?"

She shook her head and looked out the window, "Why the fuck am I telling you this?"

"Millie."

"Ok, look, one night a guy had to many to drink so I had to escort him outside. When we got out there he tried buyin somethin I wasn't sellin an-"

I stomped on the brakes and turned to her, "What?!"

"Bobby, it was a long time ago-"

"Who was the fuckin guy, Millie?!"

"It doesn't matter-"

"Millie!"

"Look, I didn't report it alright."

"I don't give a fuck if you didn't report it! You're gonna tell me!"

"Bobby, no!" She choked back tears, "Look, I told Green it was his baby, hell I told everybody it was his baby. Nobody knows but you, alright."

"Give me his name, Millie, an I'll kill him." I said in a quite voice as I stared out the windshield.

"No, I can't have you goin back to jail cause of me. Not now."

"Millie, do you even know the shit I'm gettin ready to do just for Mom? Killin a fuckin rapist is gonna be one of the least important things."

"Bobby-"

"His name, Millie." I looked over at her. "Just give me his name."

She crawled over and hugged into me, "Bobby, I just want to go home and be with my brothers again, ok?"

I sighed out the anger and looped an arm around her, "Yeah, Millie, ok."

When I pulled up behind Jerry's Volvo in front of mom's house, he and Jack stood waiting outside.

"Where the hell y'all been?"

I looked at Millie before I answered him, "I had'ta piss."

"An ya couldn't a waited till you got home?" Jack muttered.

"No I couldn't Cracker Jack." I yanked my bag from the back seat.

"Anyway," We started to the house, " Shit Bobby what you been up to?"

"I'm a friggin college professor, Jack. What you think I been doin?"

"I doubt that." Jacks deep voice vibrated through the air, I still wasn't used to that.

"Same old, Bobby." Jerry and Millie muttered in unison.

"What about you? You still suckin a lil cock left an right, or what?"

"Fucker." Jack mumbled through a laugh as Jerry opened the front door.

As we walked in a voice from the edge of the sunroom spoke, "Y'all ain't right leavin me out here in the cold like this."

"Yo, lil brother! You asshole!" I started toward Angel.

"You ought to be ashamed o yo'self!"

"Yeah, ya lil shit, where the hell you been?" Millie through her purse at him.

"Yo, what was I supposed to do I missed my plane."

"Get your ass over here."

"Yeah you missed our mothers funeral too, Jarhead." I grasped him in a hug. "What's up?"

"What's up with y'all man?"

They all exchanged hellos and when he came to Millie she got yet another 'huge' comment before we got inside. As we stepped inside we all stopped at the door and looked around. I half expected Ma to come rushing around the corner with a hug for each of us but she never came.

"I'm jus gonna go to my room 'kay guys?" Millie pointed back to the door just before the kitchen.

"I'm gonna go get me somethin to eat." He started after her, "All y'all hungry?"

"No, I'm gonna get some sleep. Jack, you take your old room, all right? Angel, take yours." I started up the stairs. "I'm gonna sleep in Mom's room."

The house seems so cold without mom there, an even colder was her room. I cleared the bed of her laundry and wandered around awkwardly. I fingered the blue turquoise beaded necklace with a silver cross at the end. Feeling the tears start to form at the back of my eyes I slunk out of the room and into the bathroom. The tears feel like rain and there was nothing I could do to stop them so I just gripped the sink and let them fall. When they finally stopped I wiped my eyes and headed back out into the hall. Jack and Millie where mourning silently in his room both with tears slowly rolling down their cheeks. She sat with her back against the wall and her feet hanging off the side, Jack however was stretched out with his guitar on his chest and his legs strewn over Millie's.

"Boy, why you usin your pregnant sister as a foot rest?" I slapped at his feet.

"She put em there."

"So, you been cryin in here ya lil fairy?" I groaned and rested on the floor at Millie's feet.

"Leave him alone, Bobby."

"Still makin a lot of racket on that friggin thing?"

"Yeah," He grinned, "Still makin a lot o racket."

As I heard him start to roll a smoke, I looked around the room. I heard Millie move behind me as she lifted her legs a bit so that her toes rested on my shoulders.

"Too weird in mom's room?"

"Oh, man. Way to weird." I dropped back my head for a moment, "Its crazy. I mean everything's exactly the same. She didn't change nothin in this house."

I looked up as Jerry appeared in the doorway, "Look at y'all."

"What?"

"Nothin. I'm jus happy to see you, man. Happy to see my brothers, that's all."

"I'm happy to see you too, Jerry."

"I guess I'll stop by the grocery store an grab a turkey or somethin. Have a thanksgiving dinner. Lets at least act like we're a real family. Mom woulda liked that."

We were all quite for a moment until Angel walked out of his room dressed like he was about to go somewhere.

"Where you think you goin?" Millie leaned forward to see past Jerry.

"Its jus a lil heavy in here. I'm gonna jus go outside an get me a lil air."

I tilted my head back in laughter, "You're full of shit, man. You can smell that ass from down the street, huh?"

"What are you talkin bout?"

"Aww Christ." Millie sighed from behind me.

"What do you mean, what? Com'mon, what, man? You know exactly what we talkin bout with La Vida Loca."

"Ain't nobody goin to get no La Vida Loca nothin."

"She got a boyfriend."

"She got a boyfriend. She's got hard dick in er right now, she's screamin somebody else's name an the last thing she's doin is thinkin bout your black ass. Leave it alone man."

Jack and Millie burst into laughter behind me as Angel looked at us all like we were crazy.

"Man, I can't even believe you comin at me with this crazy stuff, man."

"Lil brother, she is nothin but trouble."

"I'm standin here tellin y'all both right now, I'm not goin to see that gurl, an I'm not."

As we all continued to laugh he stomped off down the stairs and out the door.

"Alright, alright who wants to make some money on this?" I scratched my nose and pulled out my wallet.

"Dude, I'm in." Jack pulled out a wad.

"Me too, brother, me too."

"I got twenty that says she's here with in the hour." Millie laughed.

"Alright I got by midnight."

"Naw he'll stash her someplace an not come back till mornin." Jerry pulled out a twenty.

"I lived with him the longest, I give it half an hour." Jack threw me a twenty.

"Alright, bets are in gimmie ur money."

"Hell no, Bobby! Give it to me." Millie screeched.

"What?" Jack laughed. "Lil Ms.Pickpocket?"

"Naw, let her have it. She's pregnant she can't run away." I turned and laughed at her.

Jerry chuckled and handed over the money, "Alright y'all I gotta head home. I'll be back round eight an I spect to have my money then."

"Yeah, yeah. Kiss it goodbye, Jerry, kiss it goodbye."

* * *

**_Ok that was the first chappy people hope you liked it. Yeah it was dreadful long i know but hey its good stuff i think. Hey thanks for the reviews we made it to ten. Keep the reviews coming theyre great_**


	3. Chapter 2

The next morning I woke up to an awkwardly quiet home. Stiff all over, I could barely rise from the floor but stumbled up the best I could. It seemed crazy, I know, to sleep on an unwelcoming floor at the foot of some bed like a dog but the night before I just couldn't bring myself to sleep there. Then again I sure as hell wasn't going to sleep on the couch and get ragged about it in the morning. Damn my back hurt, I was getting to old for this shit. Slowly I padded out the door to survey the other rooms. Across the hall Angel's door was still open and showed the scene of an untouched bed. Turning around I softly pushed open Jacks door and peeked around the edge. He was sprawled out on his stomach with one arm hung over the edge of the mattress and one bare foot slid out from under the sheet. The last time I was here he was only a kid, just a little whelp that clung to my hip like an extra limb. Hell he wasn't even old enough to have hair on his chest then but now his body was built and tattoos coated those firm muscles. Him towering over me the day before had seemed so strange, like he'd skipped a chapter in his life. But in reality I had skipped it, I had missed it because I was too weak. He had looked up to me back then and it had scared me so I ran away from him. I couldn't take on the responsibility of two other lives besides my own, I just wasn't strong enough to then. I couldn't help but smile as he rolled over and started to rouse from sleep. Unconsciously he ran a hand through his mangled hair without even opening his eyes.

"Hey you gonna get up or what?"

He opened one eye slightly but lazily shut it, "What time is it?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Reaching back behind his head he grabbed his watch and blinked before throwing it back

. "You want breakfast or something?"

"Naw, Jerry's bringin over a turkey remember?"

"Angel home?"

"No, it looks like Jerry won."

"Fuck!" He hopped up and pulled on a pair of jeans.

"I knew you were a sore loser, Jackie, but it ain't so bad to lose is it?" I smirked.

"Shut up Bobby. Millie asked me last night if I would get up and help her this morning." He shoved past me and thundered down the stairs.

"Touchy, touchy. Pmsing are we, Jackie boy?"

Curious I went back to my room and got dressed before following after him. Downstairs Millie was in the kitchen with a mixing bowl propped against her stomach while she spun a wooden spoon around inside it.

"Shit, Millie, I forgot sorry." I heard Jack say from some part of the kitchen that I couldn't see. He appeared beside her holding a few assorted items from the fridge. "Is this all we need for the stuffing?"

"You know as well as I do, Jack. Here stir this." She handed over the bowl before slipping out of view, "Bobby up yet?"

"Yeah but I think he's still upstairs."

I quietly slipped back to the stairs and squatted to the bottom step.

"Good, if there was ever a place Bobby shouldn't be it's in the kitchen cooking." I heard her pull a cookie sheet out and set it down someplace. "So how you been?"

"Alright I guess."

"You guess? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno. No better or worse."

"Ah…you got a girl yet?"

I smirked and could almost see him blush, "Kinda."

"Kinda? Come on I'm your big sis, I need details, boy, details." I shut my eyes to picture her bright smile.

He laughed, "Her names Ein."

"Ein?"

He laughed again, "Yeah I know its weird. But she's really great. She came to all my shows."

"You write a song about her?"

"Yeah, but I never did get to play it for her."

Sighing I lifted from the stairs and headed back to the kitchen. Like I wanted to hear about Jacks relationships. The kitchen was warm from the stove when I walked in to grab a beer before sliding into one of the chairs at the small kitchen table. As if I wasn't there they continued on with what they were doing. I watched silently as they glided about the tiny kitchen fixing things for the up coming feast. Finally I couldn't stand listening to my youngest siblings babble on about some meaningless girl that Jack left behind.

"So you finally got laid, huh, Jackie?"

Millie sent me a glare but Jack just turned and grinned at me, "Yeah Bobby, over an over while _you_ was in jail getting butt bumped."

"Oh ho ho got a lil bite on ya now. I thought you woulda got that that earlier, I mean bein such a pillow biter an all."

Before he could spit out a reply Jerry bounded through the front door and appeared in the kitchen with a turkey in his hands. After handing the turkey to Jack and placing a light kiss on Millies cheek, he sat down across from me and started taking off his outer shell of clothing. Sitting his gloves and hat on top of his coat on the table, he folded his arms on the edge and smirked.

I furrowed my brow and took a swig of beer, "What?"

"I won." He bucked back his head when I shook mine, "Yeah I did."

"No you didn't. Angel ain't here yet."

"So. I'll still win when he gets here. You jus mad cause I beat you at something."

Shaking my head I took another swig.

"Actually, you didn't beat him."

We both turned as Millie spoke. She stood calmly dropping more dough onto the sheet as if she hadn't said a thing. When we didn't speak she looked up and sighed.

"I won." We laughed but she gave us a glare before returning to her work. "Angel an Sofi came in right after you all went to bed an I was watchin TV on the couch so they took my room." She looked up as I shook my head, "Go look if you don't believe me."

I rose in disbelief and kept my eyes on her while I backed to her door with a smirk. Flinging out my arm I pushed open the door and swung my head to the sight inside the room. Sure enough there lay both Angel and Sofi.

"Naw, naw. No fuckin way." I snapped my head back to Millie in time to catch her grin peal into a laugh.

In the room Angel grumbled and rolled his head, "Man, shut the hell up, man."

Snorting out a grin I walked back into the kitchen and picked up a stray cookie sheet. Millie shot me a glare and grabbed for it but I just swung it away from her and walked back to he bedroom.

"Hey Ange?"

When he just groaned and curled his head against Sofi's neck with a sniff, I rose the sheet and slammed it into the doorframe a few times. He shot up from the bed and sat still for a moment but then turned his head to face me with a glare in his eye. Flattening my face I shrugged as he turned his head forward and blew air out his nose angrily. Taking my eyes off Angel for a moment, I took a step into the kitchen and sat the sheet down on the counter. Just as I looked up at Millie casting me a glare, Angel came thundering out of the bedroom, giving me just enough time to turn around before he tackled me back onto the table that Millie was making biscuits on. Laughing I threw a few punches against his back and sides as he pounded my sides.

"Guys what the fuck? You're screwin up my shit." Millie screeched and battered us with chunks of dough.

I pushed Angel off me and picked the cookie sheet back up to bat the dough back at Millie. Angel however reached out and pulled Jack, who put up a high protest, in front of him as a shield. As I pegged a blind side hit out to Jerry, he let out an annoyed howl but a smile rolled across his face. They all paused and looked around at each other before starting to laugh but I simply snorted out a smirk.

"Man, look at you, runnin round in your johns." I reached over and swatted Angel in the back of the head.

"Man, shut up. You woke me up outta bed." Angel mumbled, annoyed again.

"You mean Millies bed." Jack shrugged away from him and went back to the turkey.

"She let us have it."

"Let you have it? Boy, I should _let you have it_." Millie shook a skinny fist and as she continued to speak her head bobbed back and forth in the cocky manner I remembered so well. "Why the hell would I willingly let you use my room? You think I missed havin to switch my sheets cause you left your nut sweat on em?"

"Well ain't like you tried to stop us none." He snapped.

"Angel! One, I'm pregnant. How the hell was I supposed to chase you goin eighty miles an hour to my room? Two, I was half-asleep you idiot. Three, you woulda tried to beat my ass an id hate to beat you down in front of chicky-poo here." She thumbed down the hall behind him.

" Chu guys talking bout me?" Sofi rubbed her eyes.

"Oh god." Millie huffed and leaned down on her elbows.

"What? Oh hi guys." She smiled but Angel turned and drug her up the stairs by her elbow. "Angel!"

When their voices were cut off by a slam of a door, I walked back over to my seat and slouched down in it. Millie heaved out a sigh and looked over at me before rolling her eyes.

"That damn chica has been here every fuckin day since Angel left. Askin bout when he's gonna be home, how is he, what branch is he in? Like I knew."

Jerry laughed and shook his head, "Its true."

After that the morning went on as planned. My lovely sisters went on cooking while Jerry and I wandered into the living room to wait for the game to come on. Eventually Angel and Sofi tramped back down stairs and he tried to convince me that she was going to live with us from then on. Yeah bullshit like I wanted Angel to have a permanent fuck buddy under the same roof. My roof to be exact. Anyway I didn't know how but the little chica convinced me to let her stay, probably because I had a soft spot for her. Yeah, yeah I'd wanted to screw her since before Angel even got with her but like I was going to tell them that. One more fine fact that would remain locked away, now I simply get my enjoyment out of her by pissing her off. Just before the game started Angel managed to run her out of the house, probably paid her, after which we sat down for the game. It wasn't long before Angel was back to being his annoying self. Eventually Jerry couldn't take it anymore and they started out in another one of their pointless brawls. It was pretty funny but personally I think Angel only bugged him cause he was still pissed that Jerry went soft on him and quit their wild ways. Of course Jerry won, he was always a scrawny guy but he sure as hell could beat any guy down if he wanted to. So yeah at first I had been kinda pissed that Jerry had ditched Angel, Millie, and me but I guess I always knew he'd be the one to actually do something with his life. Our breakfast turkey dinner thing started to get on my nerves right after grace. I scarfed down my food acting like I didn't see each of my siblings look over at moms empty seat pitifully, chomping down on the food trying to stop the blood in my ears to stop pulsing. I looked up at mom's chair and my chewing seemed to slow, no way was she dead, she couldn't be. Sighing I swallowed what food was in my mouth and slid back my chair to stand up.

"To hell with this, man. Let's go get a pickup game. I wanna see some quick sticks and some tight passing." I stirred my finger around in my bloody-mary with my head cocked and frown on my face.

"It's too cold, man. I ain't come all the way back out here to go play no hockey." Angel wined from his seat.

"Come on, ladies, let's show these guys some fucking skills!" I walked out of the room and wandered upstairs to my room.

Upstairs I pulled on some old clothes from Angels room and grabbed a toboggan from my bag in moms room before thundering back down to the living room. There I picked up my stick but looked around and ran a hand through my hair when I realized that I had no idea where the hell my blades were. Angel and Jack thundered up the stairs as Jerry headed out the door with Millie close at his heels, promising to meet us at the rink. I nodded as the door slammed behind them and tried to think where my blades would be. I snapped my head back to the door and saw Millie peaking her head inside.

"Drawer at the bottom of the coat rack." She smiled.

"What?" I rose an eyebrow.

"Your blades. That's where they are." She headed back out the door.

They were there of course. I should of looked there, ehh oh well, I shrugged and swung the blades over my shoulder.

"God what the hell are you girlies doing up there? Christ I'll be an old man before we get there." I frowned.

Jack appeared at the top of the stairs, "You're already old."

Angel popped up beside him with a grin on his face, "Yeah you practically dust by now." He passed by Jack and laid a hand on my shoulder when he reached the bottom of the stairs, "Your sure you should be playin hockey at your age, man?"

"Yeah, you need a cane?" Jack grinned and slid down the stair railing.

"The fairy and his sidekick, syphilis man, are mocking _me._ Oh this is a new one." I pulled on my coat and headed out the door.

When we got outside we slowly started to head down the street. Jack lit a smoke as he dodged a pile of snow but then fell back into step beside me.

"So how you been Bobby?" Angel swaggered up beside me.

"I been writin a novel. What the hell you think I been doin?"

"Com'mon man, what you been up to really?"

I sighed and frowned at them both before returning my eyes to the street ahead, "Lock up."

"Lock up, what the hell d'ju do?"

I looked at him, my frown deepening, "How long have you known me?"

"Man, what the hell else are we gonna do? It's a long walk to the rink from here." Angel shrugged.

"I say," Jack blew out smoke and looked over at Angel, "We bet on it."

"What?" I laughed and felt my brow crinkle.

"We bet on him why can't we bet on you?" Jack shrugged.

"Wait you bet on me? About what?"

I scrunched up my face and frowned at angel before quickly looking back at Jack, "You can't bet on me. Angels a chump."

"I'm right here you know." Angel started walking backwards to face us.

"An you're not one?" Jack rose a brow as he spoke through his cigarette.

I frowned, "Alright fine. Do what you want."

"Seriously, why'd you bet on me?"

"Assault and battery." Jack mumbled and looked up at Angel. "Come on you next."

"What…Fine, breaking and entering."

They both looked at me as I frowned and Jack rose an eyebrow, "Attempted murder?"

I eyed both of them with a smirk before turning it into a frown, "All three."

"All three?" Jack coughed past smoke.

Angel looked from him to me, "You got caught."

I frowned at him, "I-"

"BOBBY!"

We all whipped around and caught sight of a long legged red head clicking across the road. Turning back around I let my head sag and groaned loud enough for my brothers to hear.

Angel laughed, "Ohhoho looks like your wifie found you."

I just groaned again but then louder when Jack smiled and yelled, "Hey Anna, over here."

"Hey Jackie, Angel…Bobby!" She grinned and clasped on to me like a small child.

"Hi." She had my arms clenched tightly at my sides so I lightly patted her lower back.

"Bobby, Bobby," She pulled away from me, "I haven't seen you in years you can't move so fast."

Angel stifled a laugh but covered it with his fist, all the while Jack just smirked.

"Oh Bobby, its so good to see you. I've missed you so much. I tried to ask Millie where you went and if you were coming back but she just couldn't seem to find the time to find out. Any way how have you been?"

"Well uh actually we-"

"I bet you were out doing something crazy and wild as usual." She smiled and rolled her eyes, "That was always you, wild and crazy. So, you seeing any body?"

"I haven't really been here long but-"

"Well of course you're with somebody. How long you been here? You know how long you're here for? I hope it's a while. Maybe we could get together sometime."

She kept blabbing on and on while my mind just begged her to shut the hell up. All I could think about was why I had ever dated her in the first place, what I had ever wanted her for. Then it hit me like a wave, she was gorgeous and Sofi hated her. When Angel and Jack started to walk away I made an attempt to tell her to talk to me later but the girl wouldn't shut her mouth long enough for me to speak. Eventually I just turned and walked away but as I went, she looped an arm through mine and continued to jabber while the four of us continued down the street. I made no attempt of getting away because bitch fits aren't really my thing and I knew she sure as hell could throw one. When we got to the rink I caught sight of Jerry and Millie standing beside his Volvo. The first thing I saw was Millie's lips curl into a grin, but as her laughter crackled the air she turned back around to curl against Jerry's chest. His own mouth folded out into a grin showing his almost glaring white teeth but he only laughed once apposed to Millie's wail. Finally I was able to shrug Anna off long enough to put on my blades and run for cover out on the ice.

Angel slid up beside me and laughed, "Dude, chick is crazy."

"You don't think I know that? Shit I go outta fuckin state to get away from her, an bitch still thinks I want her."

"You did."

"Naw I didn't. I jus wanted a piece o ass."

Angel and I laughed together as we waited for Jerry and Jack to join us out on the ice. I looked over at Millie on the cold benches outside of the rink and saw her roll her eyes as Anna attempted to start her into conversation.

"Hey you're the Mercers right?"

I whipped my head around, "Yeah, we tha Mercers."

"You guys are legends around here. You're the Michigan Mauler right?"

I frowned and showed no real response to his praise, "You want a pick up game or what?"

The grin fell from his face and he coughed, "Yeah lemme just get my boys." He skated out to the other end of the rink.

"You believe that prick?" I grumbled and looked around at my brothers.

Jerry and Angels lips pealed back as they laughed but Jack just grinned, "What you can't take a little praise?"

"Praise? The dude was practically down on his knees." I laughed, "Want me to get his number for ya? I'm sure you'd make a nice couple."

"God, such a dick." Jack laughed as we all skidded out to the center of the rink.

We started our game and were soon up by four but kept playing with no mercy. Jack apparently had learned a lot from those few rough years that I had been here with them all, he was tougher than I had remembered. Jerry also proved that just because he left our hard life behind after high school, it didn't mean he'd gone completely soft; well accept for I had to take his phone. And Angel, well Angel was Angel.

"Tighten it up on that side, Jackie."

"Shut up, Bobby." Jack yelled just before ramming his shoulder into the player he'd been tailing.

"Nice one, lil brother!" Angel grinned and caught the stray puck. "Taught you well, huh?" He shot a pass across the ice to Jerry.

"What? Far as I can remember, you two didn't teach him shit but how to get in the penalty box."

While he was distracted, a player from the other team quickly hooked his stick around Jerrys foot, causing him to crash face first into the ice. As he slid over into the wall, his attacker turned the puck around and started back down the rink. After shooting a glance at both Angel and Jack, I shot off after the man, the blades of my skates causing that oh so sweet sound I missed so much. Perfectly in control, I forced him in the direction of Angels path, while Jack closed in his escape from behind. Just as his shot became available, Angel came at a full sprint and passed him just enough to slam an elbow into his nose. His scream cut the air and blood shot from his nose like an over ripe tomato thrown against a wall. As he started to collapse, Jack and I came in for the kill. I sent a hard blow to his knee caps before Jack crouched down at full speed and jammed a stiff elbow into he mans back. Letting him fall, Jack and I slid away in time to see Angel pass the puck back to Jerry so he could slam in our final goal.

"Ya aight, Jer?" I patted his shoulder as we all met at center ring.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I dunno bout him though." Jerry pointed over at the crumpled man that was now surrounded by his team mates.

Unfortunately, they were all crowded right in front of the bleachers that Millie and Anna were sitting in. I couldn't help but smirk as we slid past them to the exit but this apparently drew the attention of the man that had chose to praise me before.

He jerked me around by my shoulder, "Hey, what was up with that shit man?"

Jack leaned around my shoulder, "We're the Mercers, did you seriously think you were gonna get outta this game without a scratch?"

"That was a bit extensive though, don't you think?"

I looked down at the beaten man, "Naw, not really." I looked at him as he frowned, "Look if you got a problem, jus keep it to yourself aight, cause nobody gives a shit."

At that we stepped out of the rink and settled down onto the bleachers just in front of the girls. As I leaned down and started to unlace my skates, Anna slid down beside me.

"Do you wanna go back to jail?" She huffed.

"If it gets me away from you." I said under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. No I don't wanna go back to jail." I pulled off one skate.

"Well if you keep doin stupid stuff like that then you'll be back in there an then I'll be out here all by myself."

"You'll have the dude with you now."

"No, silly, I'm with you so-"

"We ain't together." I pulled off the other skate.

She paused a moment but then smiled and leaned into me, "Well no, but you were gonna ask me so I just skipped that step."

I slammed the blade into the bleachers so hard it wedged in the metal, "Alright look," I pushed her away, "I don't want you ok? Do you get that? Can you understand that?"

After that little incident, she ran off in tears as everyone burst out into laughter. God she was the definition of crazy. After we'd all changed, Jerry piled us into his Volvo and took off across town to Ma's lawyers place. It was in one of those big solid glass buildings that you ride the glass elevators up the side, the ones that you just know you're gonna die if the thing malfunctions. The whole way up I was scared shit less, an of course the guy has to be on like the top floor. When we finally actually got to the room I would have almost preferred to of been back in the elevator. The lawyer introduced himself as Robert Bradford but to me he was just the man who held what was left of my mothers life in his hands. After Jack made some dumb comment about money, Bradford handed me a box containing all of my mothers things. I sorted through some papers and assorted jewelry, passing papers to whoever they now belonged. I wasn't surprised to find that nothing of mine showed up, but for Millie the shock was devastating. For as long as I could remember she had been searching for her sister, I'd never met her, and that had been her last hope, her last connection.

"There's nothing?" She yanked the box from my hands.

I shook my head, "Sometimes they lose that shit."

"Lose it. It's not something that you can just lose like its nothing."

"Look as soon as we take care of this stuff with mom, I swear we'll find your sister, aight?" I squeezed her shoulder.

"Do you know how long it would take to find someone who has been lost in the system?" Her eyes bugged a bit as memories from being lost herself in the system probably took over her mind.

"I can find anybody, anyplace. I'll find her for you. I swear."

"Yeah, Mi, we'll help to, babes." Angel reached over and patted clasped her hand.

"Course we will." Jack grinned.

"Yeah, we're here for you, babe." Jerry smiled, "If she somethin's hurtin you then it hurts us too."

She pulled up Angels hand and kissed it to her lips before pulling us all into a hug, "Thanks guys. It's good to know we gonna have each other to go to when we need it."

For a moment we clung to each other and when we let loose it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Mom was gone but I still had my family with me and that was enough. I stood, after covering a sniff with a cough, and pulled the small wad of cash out of the box. Splitting it into fours I stuffed a bit in my pocket before handing the rest to Jerry, Angel, and Millie but skipped over Jack holding out his palm.

"Hey, what about me?"

"Look at you, holdin your palm out like a five dollar hoe." Millie laughed and started out the door.

"Here," I pulled gabbed the pearl necklace from the box and slammed it into Jacks waiting hand, "That'tle look good on you."

"Quit whinin' an come on. I got something to show y'all."

The four of us followed Millie out of the room and over to the elevator. When it rose to our floor, it was nearly packed to the max but Jerry, Angel, and Jack managed to pile in.

I pulled the wad of cash from my pocket and clasped it between me and Millie's hands, "Here take this."

"I don't need it." She tried to pull away.

I squeezed her hand, "Take it, you that baby to thing bout."

"Yeah," She turned and looked up into my eyes, "an you're going to be here to help me so you can give me the money later."

Frowning at her stubbornness, I sighed and leaned my forehead against hers. A coo came from behind us and we turned to see Bradford's secretary looking us over with goo-goo eyes.

"What?" I cocked my chin.

"Oh, you two look so adorable. Your baby is going to be so cute. When are you due?"

"December." We rang in unison.

The secretary made a puppy looking face and cooed, "Aww, I can just tell you two will be together forever." The elevator doors opened with a ping and we backed into, "Oh you two have a good day, ya hear?"

The doors shut and we started down, "Damn, what is it with people and thinking that's my kid?"

"Better get used to these kind looks instead of the ones we'll get when I pop out Karmel here." She grinned and placed a hand on her stomach.

I laughed and shook my head, " Carmel? You can't name a kid Karmel."

She swatted me with a giggle, "She's mine, I'll name 'er what I damn well please."

The doors dinged open to our waiting brothers, "Y'all know this girl wants to name her kid Karmel?"

"What?" Jerry grinned and bug eyed.

As Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and laughed, Angel shrugged and replied, "It's her kid, she can name it what she wants."

"Thank you." She looped an arm through Angels and they started outside.

"Yeah take praise from a guy whose kids are gonna be named after make-up an fruit." I followed after them.

"Shut the hell up, Sofi ain't that dumb." He shot back over his shoulder.

"I beg to differ." Jack mumbled and pulled into step beside me.

"Least I'm gonna get kids ya fairy."

"Ohhhh wow we're back to the fag jokes. How did I know it was gonna turn into this?"

Jerry rolled his eyes and beeped his care open, "Y'all gotta shut the hell up while I drive aight?"

"What you forget the way, Jer?" I smirked from the passenger's seat.

"Naw, I'm afraid ya'll stupidity might infect me an make me forget the way."

"Wow, Jer, your come backs get worse and worse by the day." Millie wiggled into the back seat between Jack and Angel and propped her feet up between me and Jerry's seats.

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**_Sorry about the delay. I was hardly able to keep up with one fanfic and my school work, so this one suffered. For the fans that hung on for this chapter, thank you and i can't wait to hear your opinions for this chapter. I hope you like this chapter same 10 reviews please, I promise to get you a new chapter soon. Peace _**


	4. Chapter 3

One Blood: Chapter Two

_Apologies for the delay. Work on this story has been really slow because I had to work on finishing the first season of Mercer Mercy. Please continue with your reviews they are greatly appreciated. _

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The next morning I woke up to an awkwardly quiet home. Stiff all over, I could barely rise from the floor but stumbled up the best I could. It seemed crazy, I know, to sleep on an unwelcoming floor at the foot of some bed like a dog but the night before I just couldn't bring myself to sleep there. Then again I sure as hell wasn't going to sleep on the couch and get ragged about it in the morning. Damn my back hurt, I was getting to old for this shit. Slowly I padded out the door to survey the other rooms. Across the hall Angel's door was still open and showed the scene of an untouched bed. Turning around I softly pushed open Jacks door and peeked around the edge. He was sprawled out on his stomach with one arm hung over the edge of the mattress and one bare foot slid out from under the sheet. The last time I was here he was only a kid, just a little whelp that clung to my hip like an extra limb. Hell he wasn't even old enough to have hair on his chest then but now his body was built and tattoos coated those firm muscles. Him towering over me the day before had seemed so strange, like he'd skipped a chapter in his life. But in reality I had skipped it, I had missed it because I was too weak. He had looked up to me back then and it had scared me so I ran away from him. I couldn't take on the responsibility of two other lives besides my own, I just wasn't strong enough to then. I couldn't help but smile as he rolled over and started to rouse from sleep. Unconsciously he ran a hand through his mangled hair without even opening his eyes.

"Hey you gonna get up or what?"

He opened one eye slightly but lazily shut it, "What time is it?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Reaching back behind his head he grabbed his watch and blinked before throwing it back.

"You want breakfast or something?"

"Naw, Jerry's bringin' over a turkey remember?"

"Angel home?"

"No, it looks like Jerry won."

"Fuck!" He hopped up and pulled on a pair of jeans.

"I knew you were a sore loser, Jackie, but it ain't so bad to lose is it?" I smirked.

"Shut up Bobby. Millie asked me last night if I would get up and help her this morning." He shoved past me and thundered down the stairs.

"Touchy, touchy. Pmsing are we, Jackie boy?"

Curious I went back to my room and got dressed before following after him.

Downstairs Millie was in the kitchen with a mixing bowl propped against her stomach while she spun a wooden spoon around inside it.

"Shit, Millie, I forgot sorry." I heard Jack say from some part of the kitchen that I couldn't see. He appeared beside her holding a few assorted items from the fridge. "Is this all we need for the stuffing?"

"You know as well as I do, Jack. Here stir this." She handed over the bowl before slipping out of view, "Bobby up yet?"

"Yeah but I think he's still upstairs."

I quietly slipped back to the stairs and squatted to the bottom step.

"Good, if there was ever a place Bobby shouldn't be it's in the kitchen cooking." I heard her pull a cookie sheet out and set it down someplace. "So how you been?"

"Alright I guess."

"You guess? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno. No better or worse."

"Ah…you got a girl yet?"

I smirked and could almost see him blush, "Kinda."

"Kinda? Come on I'm your big sis, I need details, boy, details." I shut my eyes to picture her bright smile.

He laughed, "Her names Ein."

"Ein?"

He laughed again, "Yeah I know its weird. But she's really great. She came to all my shows."

"You write a song about her?"

"Yeah, but I never did get to play it for her."

Sighing I lifted from the stairs and headed back to the kitchen. Like I wanted to hear about Jacks relationships. The kitchen was warm from the stove when I walked in to grab a beer before sliding into one of the chairs at the small kitchen table. As if I wasn't there they continued on with what they were doing. I watched silently as they glided about the tiny kitchen fixing things for the up coming feast. Finally I couldn't stand listening to my youngest siblings babble on about some meaningless girl that Jack left behind.

"So you finally got laid, huh, Jackie?"

Millie sent me a glare but Jack just turned and grinned at me, "Yeah Bobby, over an over while _you_ was in jail getting butt bumped."

"Oh ho ho got a lil bite on ya now. I thought you woulda got that that earlier, I mean bein such a pillow biter an all."

Before he could spit out a reply Jerry bounded through the front door and appeared in the kitchen with a turkey in his hands. After handing the turkey to Jack and placing a light kiss on Millies cheek, he sat down across from me and started taking off his outer shell of clothing. Sitting his gloves and hat on top of his coat on the table, he folded his arms on the edge and smirked.

I furrowed my brow and took a swig of beer, "What?"

"I won." He bucked back his head when I shook mine, "Yeah I did."

"No you didn't. Angel ain't here yet."

"So. I'll still win when he gets here. You jus' mad cause I beat you at something."

Shaking my head I took another swig.

"Actually, you didn't beat him."

We both turned as Millie spoke. She stood calmly dropping more dough onto the sheet as if she hadn't said a thing. When we didn't speak she looked up and sighed.

"I won." We laughed but she gave us a glare before returning to her work. "Angel an Sofi came in right after you all went to bed an I was watchin' TV on the couch so they took my room." She looked up as I shook my head, "Go look if you don't believe me."

I rose in disbelief and kept my eyes on her while I backed to her door with a smirk. Flinging out my arm I pushed open the door and swung my head to the sight inside the room. Sure enough there lay both Angel and Sofi.

"Naw, naw. No fuckin' way." I snapped my head back to Millie in time to catch her grin peal into a laugh.

In the room Angel grumbled and rolled his head, "Man, shut the hell up, man."

Snorting out a grin I walked back into the kitchen and picked up a stray cookie sheet. Millie shot me a glare and grabbed for it but I just swung it away from her and walked back to the bedroom.

"Hey Ange?"

When he just groaned and curled his head against Sofi's neck with a sniff, I rose the sheet and slammed it into the doorframe a few times, causing it to clash loud banging noises through the house. He shot up from the bed and sat still for a moment but then turned his head to face me with a glare in his eyes. Flattening my face I shrugged as he turned his head forward and blew air out his nose angrily. Taking my eyes off him for a moment, I took a step into the kitchen and sat the sheet down on the counter. Just as I looked up at Millie casting me a glare, Angel came thundering out of the bedroom, giving me just enough time to turn around before he tackled me back onto the table that Millie was making biscuits on. Laughing I threw a few punches against his back and sides as he pounded my sides.

"Guys, what the fuck? You're screwin up my shit." Millie screeched and battered us with chunks of dough.

I pushed Angel off me and picked the cookie sheet back up to bat the dough back at Millie. Angel however reached out and pulled Jack, who put up a high protest, in front of him as a shield. As I pegged a blind side hit out to Jerry, he let out an annoyed howl but a smile rolled across his face. They all paused and looked around at each other before starting to laugh but I simply snorted out a smirk.

"Man, look at you, runnin round in your johns." I reached over and swatted Angel in the back of the head.

"Man, shut up. You woke me up outta bed." Angel mumbled, annoyed again.

"You mean Millies bed." Jack shrugged away from him and went back to the turkey.

"She let us have it."

"Let you have it? Boy, I should _let you have it_." Millie shook a skinny fist and as she continued to speak her head bobbed back and forth in the cocky manner I remembered so well. "Why the hell would I willingly let you use my room? You think I missed havin' to switch my sheets cause you left your nut sweat on em?"

"Well ain't like you tried to stop us none." He snapped.

"Angel! One, I'm pregnant. How the hell was I supposed to chase you goin' eighty miles an hour to my room? Two, I was half-asleep you idiot. Three, you woulda tried to beat my ass an I'd hate to beat you down in front of chicky-poo here." She thumbed down the hall behind him.

" Chu guys talking bout me?" Sofi rubbed her eyes.

"Oh god." Millie huffed and leaned down on her elbows.

"What? Oh hi guys." She smiled but Angel turned and drug her up the stairs by her elbow. "Angel!"

When their voices were cut off by a slam of a door, I walked back over to my seat and slouched down in it. Millie heaved out a sigh and looked over at me before rolling her eyes.

"That damn chica has been here every fuckin' day since Angel left. Askin' bout when he's gonna be home, how is he, what branch is he in? Like I knew."

Jerry laughed and shook his head, "Its true."

After that the morning went on as planned. My lovely sisters went on cooking while Jerry and I wandered into the living room to wait for the game to come on. Eventually Angel and Sofi tramped back down stairs and he tried to convince me that she was going to live with us from then on. Yeah bullshit like I wanted Angel to have a permanent fuck buddy under the same roof. My roof to be exact. Anyway I didn't know how but the little chica convinced me to let her stay, probably because I had a soft spot for her. Yeah, yeah I'd wanted to screw her since before Angel even got with her but like I was going to tell them that. One more fine fact that would remain locked away, now I simply get my enjoyment out of her by pissing her off. Just before the game started Angel managed to run her out of the house, probably paid her, after which we sat down for the game. It wasn't long before Angel was back to being his annoying self. Eventually Jerry couldn't take it anymore and they started out in another one of their pointless brawls. It was pretty funny but personally I think Angel only bugged him cause he was still pissed that Jerry went soft on him and quit their wild ways. Of course Jerry won, he was always a scrawny guy but he sure as hell could beat any guy down if he wanted to. So yeah at first I had been kinda pissed that Jerry had ditched Angel, Millie, and me but I guess I always knew he'd be the one to actually do something with his life. Our breakfast turkey dinner thing started to get on my nerves right after grace. I scarfed down my food acting like I didn't see each of my siblings look over at moms empty seat pitifully, chomping down on the food trying to convince the blood in my ears to stop pulsing. I looked up at mom's chair and my chewing seemed to slow, no way was she dead, she couldn't be. Sighing I swallowed what food was in my mouth and slid back my chair to stand up.

"To hell with this, man. Let's go get a pickup game. I wanna see some quick sticks and some tight passing." I stirred my finger around in my bloody-mary with my head cocked and a frown on my face.

"It's too cold, man. I ain't come all the way back out here to go play no hockey." Angel wined from his seat.

"Come on, ladies, let's show these guys some fucking skills!" I walked out of the room and wandered upstairs.

Upstairs I pulled on some old clothes from Angels room and grabbed a toboggan from my bag in moms room before thundering back downstairs. There I picked up my stick but looked around and ran a hand through my hair when I realized that I had no idea where the hell my blades were. Angel and Jack thundered up the stairs as Jerry headed out the door with Millie close at his heels, promising to meet us at the rink. I nodded as the door slammed behind them and tried to think where my blades would be. I snapped my head back to the door and saw Millie peaking her head inside.

"Drawer at the bottom of the coat rack." She smiled.

"What?" I rose an eyebrow.

"Your blades. That's where they are." She headed back out the door.

They were there of course. I should of looked there, ehh oh well, I shrugged and swung the blades over my shoulder.

"God what the hell are you girlies doing up there? Christ I'll be an old man before we get there." I frowned.

Jack appeared at the top of the stairs, "You're already old."

Angel popped up beside him with a grin on his face, "Yeah you practically dust by now." He passed by Jack and laid a hand on my shoulder when he reached the bottom of the stairs, "You're sure you should be playin hockey at your age, man?"

"Yeah, you need a cane?" Jack grinned and slid down the stair railing.

"The fairy and his sidekick, syphilis man, are mocking _me_? Oh this is a new one." I pulled on my coat and headed out the door.

When we got outside we slowly started to head down the street. Jack lit a smoke as he dodged a pile of snow but then fell back into step beside me.

"So what you been doin', Bobby?" Angel swaggered up beside me.

"I been writin' a novel. What the hell you think I been doin?"

"Com'mon man, what you been up to really?"

I sighed and frowned at them both before returning my eyes to the street ahead, "Lock up."

"Lock up, what the hell d'ju do?"

I looked at him, my frown deepening, "How long have you known me?"

"Man, what the hell else are we gonna do? It's a long walk to the rink from here." Angel shrugged.

"I say," Jack blew out smoke and looked over at Angel, "We bet on it."

"What?" I laughed and felt my brow crinkle.

"We bet on him why can't we bet on you?" Jack shrugged.

"Wait you bet on me? About what?"

I scrunched up my face and frowned at Angel before quickly looking back at Jack, "You can't bet on me. Angels a chump."

"I'm right here you know." Angel started walking backwards to face us.

"An you're not one?" Jack rose a brow as he spoke through his cigarette.

I frowned, "Alright fine. Do what you want."

"Seriously, why'd you bet on me?"

"Assault and battery." Jack mumbled and looked up at Angel. "Come on you next."

"What…Fine, breaking and entering."

They both looked at me as I frowned and Jack rose an eyebrow, "Attempted murder?"

I eyed both of them with a smirk before turning it into a frown, "All three."

"All three?" Jack coughed past smoke.

Angel looked from him to me, "You got caught."

I frowned at him, "I-"

"BOBBY!"

We all whipped around and caught sight of a long legged red head clicking across the road. Turning back around I let my head sag and groaned loud enough for my brothers to hear.

Angel laughed, "Ohhoho looks like your wifie found you."

I just groaned again but then louder when Jack smiled and yelled, "Hey Anna, over here."

"Hey Jackie, Angel…Bobby!" She grinned and clasped on to me like a small child.

"Hi." She had my arms clenched tightly at my sides so I lightly patted her lower back.

"Bobby, Bobby," She pulled away from me, "I haven't seen you in years you can't move so fast."

Angel stifled a laugh but covered it with his fist, all the while Jack just smirked.

"Oh Bobby, its so good to see you. I've missed you so much. I tried to ask Millie where you went and if you were coming back but she just couldn't seem to find the time to find out. Any way how have you been?"

"Well uh actually we-"

"I bet you were out doing something crazy and wild as usual." She smiled and rolled her eyes, "That was always you, wild and crazy. So, you seeing any body?"

"I haven't really been here long but-"

"Well of course you're with somebody. How long you been here? You know how long you're here for? I hope it's a while. Maybe we could get together sometime."

She kept blabbing on and on while my mind just begged her to shut the hell up. All I could think about was why I had ever dated her in the first place, what I had ever wanted her for. Then it hit me like a wave, she was gorgeous and Sofi hated her. When Angel and Jack started to walk away I made an attempt to tell her to talk to me later but the girl wouldn't shut her mouth long enough for me to speak. Eventually I just turned and walked away but as I went, she looped an arm through mine and continued to jabber while the four of us walked on down the street. I made no attempt of getting away because bitch fits aren't really my thing and I knew she sure as hell could throw one. When we got to the rink I caught sight of Jerry and Millie standing beside his Volvo. The first thing I saw was Millie's lips curl into a grin, but as her laughter crackled the air she turned back around to curl against Jerry's chest. His own mouth folded out into a grin showing his almost glaring white teeth but he only laughed once opposed to Millie's wail. Finally I was able to shrug Anna off long enough to put on my blades and run for cover out on the ice.

Angel slid up beside me and laughed, "Dude, chick is crazy."

"You don't think I know that? Shit I go outta fuckin state to get away from her, an bitch still thinks I want her."

"You did."

"Naw I didn't. I jus wanted a piece o ass."

Angel and I laughed together as we waited for Jerry and Jack to join us out on the ice. I looked over at Millie on the cold benches outside of the rink and saw her roll her eyes as Anna attempted to start her into conversation. Millie however made no intention of starting one and just simply ignored her the best she could.

"Hey you're the Mercers right?"

I whipped my head around, "Yeah, we tha Mercers."

"You guys are legends around here. You're the Michigan Mauler right?"

I frowned and showed no real response to his praise, "You want a pick up game or what?"

The grin fell from his face and he coughed, "Yeah lemme just get my boys." He skated out to the other end of the rink.

"You believe that prick?" I grumbled and looked around at my brothers.

Jerry and Angels lips pealed back as they laughed but Jack just grinned, "What you can't take a little praise?"

"Praise? The dude was practically down on his knees." I laughed, "Want me to get his number for ya? I'm sure you'd make a nice couple."

"God, such a dick." Jack laughed as we all skidded out to the center of the rink.

We started our game and were soon up by four but kept playing with no mercy. Jack apparently had learned a lot from those few rough years that I had been here with them all, he was tougher than I had remembered. Jerry also proved that just because he left our hard life behind after high school, it didn't mean he'd gone completely soft; well accept for I had to take his phone. And Angel, well Angel was Angel.

"Tighten it up on that side, Jackie."

"Shut up, Bobby." Jack yelled just before ramming his shoulder into the player he'd been tailing.

"Nice one, lil brother!" Angel grinned and caught the stray puck. "Taught you well, huh?" He shot a pass across the ice to Jerry.

"What? Far as I can remember, you two didn't teach him shit but how to get in the penalty box."

While he was distracted, a player from the other team quickly hooked his stick around Jerrys foot, causing him to crash face first into the ice. As he slid over into the wall, his attacker turned the puck around and started back down the rink. After shooting a glance at both Angel and Jack, I shot off after the man, the blades of my skates causing that oh so sweet sound I missed so much. Perfectly in control, I forced him in the direction of Angels path, while Jack closed in his escape from behind. Just as his shot became available, Angel came at a full sprint and passed him just enough to slam an elbow into his nose. His scream cut the air and blood shot from his nose like an over ripe tomato thrown against a wall. As he started to collapse, Jack and I came in for the kill. I sent a hard blow to his knee caps before Jack crouched down at full speed and jammed a stiff elbow into he mans back. Letting him fall, Jack and I slid away in time to see Angel pass the puck back to Jerry so he could slam in our final goal.

"Ya aight, Jer?" I patted his shoulder as we all met at center ring.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I dunno bout him though." Jerry pointed over at the crumpled man that was now surrounded by his teammates.

Unfortunately, they were all crowded right in front of the bleachers that Millie and Anna were sitting in. I couldn't help but smirk as we slid past them to the exit but this apparently drew the attention of the man that had chose to praise me before.

He jerked me around by my shoulder, "Hey, what was up with that shit man?"

Jack leaned around my shoulder, "We're the Mercers, did you seriously think you were gonna get outta this game without a scratch?"

"That was a bit extensive though, don't you think?"

I looked down at the beaten man, "Naw, not really." I looked at him as he frowned, "Look if you got a problem, jus keep it to yourself aight, cause nobody gives a shit."

At that we stepped out of the rink and settled down onto the bleachers just in front of the girls. As I leaned down and started to unlace my skates, Anna slid down beside me.

"Do you wanna go back to jail?" She huffed.

"If it gets me away from you." I said under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. No I don't wanna go back to jail." I pulled off one skate.

"Well if you keep doin' stupid stuff like that then you'll be back in there an I'll be out here all by myself"

"You'll have the dude with you now."

"No, silly, I'm with you so-"

"We ain't together." I pulled off the other skate.

She paused a moment but then smiled and leaned into me, "Well no, but you were gonna ask me so I just skipped that step."

I slammed the blade into the bleachers so hard it wedged in the metal, "Alright look," I pushed her away, "I don't want you ok? Do you get that? Can you understand that?"

After that little incident, she ran off in tears as everyone burst out into laughter. God she was the definition of crazy. After we'd all changed, Jerry piled us into his Volvo and took off across town to Ma's lawyers place. It was in one of those big solid glass buildings that you ride the glass elevators up the side, the ones that you just know you're gonna die if the thing malfunctions. The whole way up I was scared shit less, an of course the guy has to be on like the top floor. When we finally actually got to the room I would have almost preferred to of been back in the elevator. The lawyer introduced himself as Robert Bradford but to me he was just the man who held what was left of my mothers life in his hands. After Jack made some dumb comment about money, Bradford handed me a box containing all of my mothers things. I sorted through some papers and assorted jewelry, passing papers to whoever they now belonged. I wasn't surprised to find that nothing of mine showed up, but for Millie the shock was devastating. For as long as I could remember she had been searching for her sister, I'd never met her, and that had been her last hope, her last connection.

"There's nothing?" She yanked the box from my hands.

I shook my head, "Sometimes they lose that shit."

"Lose it. It's not something that you can just lose like its nothing."

"Look as soon as we take care of this stuff with mom, I swear we'll find your sister, aight?" I squeezed her shoulder.

"Do you know how long it would take to find someone who has been lost in the system?" Her eyes bugged a bit as memories from being lost herself in the system probably took over her mind.

"I can find anybody, anyplace. I'll find her for you. I swear."

"Yeah, Mi, we'll help to, babes." Angel reached over and patted clasped her hand.

"Course we will." Jack grinned.

"Yeah, we're here for you, babe." Jerry smiled, "If somethin's hurtin you then it hurts us too."

She pulled up Angels hand and kissed it to her lips before pulling us all into a hug, "Thanks guys. It's good to know we gonna have each other to go to when we need it."

For a moment we clung to each other and when we let loose it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Mom was gone but I still had my family with me and that was enough. I stood, after covering a sniff with a cough, and pulled the small wad of cash out of the box. Splitting it into fours I stuffed a bit in my pocket before handing the rest to Jerry, Angel, and Millie but skipped over Jack holding out his palm.

"Hey, what about me?"

"Look at you, holdin your palm out like a five dollar hoe." Millie laughed and started out the door.

"Here," I pulled gabbed the pearl necklace from the box and slammed it into Jacks waiting hand, "That'tle look good on you."

"Quit whinin' an come on. I got something to show y'all."

The four of us followed Millie out of the room and over to the elevator. When it rose to our floor, it was nearly packed to the max but Jerry, Angel, and Jack managed to pile in.

I pulled the wad of cash from my pocket and clasped it between me and Millie's hands, "Here take this."

"I don't need it." She tried to pull away.

I squeezed her hand, "Take it, you that baby to thing bout."

"Yeah," She turned and looked up into my eyes, "an you're going to be here to help me so you can give me the money later."

Frowning at her stubbornness, I sighed and leaned my forehead against hers. A coo came from behind us and we turned to see Bradford 's secretary looking us over with goo-goo eyes.

"What?" I cocked my chin.

"Oh, you two look so adorable. Your baby is going to be so cute. When are you due?"

"December." We rang in unison.

The secretary made a puppy looking face and cooed, "Aww, I can just tell you two will be together forever." The elevator doors opened with a ping and we backed into, "Oh you two have a good day, ya hear?"

The doors shut and we started down, "Damn, what is it with people and thinking that's my kid?"

"Better get used to these kind looks instead of the ones we'll get when I pop out Karmel here." She grinned and placed a hand on her stomach.

I laughed and shook my head, " Karmel? You can't name a kid Karmel."

She swatted me with a giggle, "She's mine, I'll name 'er what I damn well please."

The doors dinged open to our waiting brothers, "Y'all know this girl wants to name her kid Karmel?"

"What?" Jerry grinned and bug eyed.

As Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and laughed, Angel shrugged and replied, "It's her kid, she can name it what she wants."

"Thank you." She looped an arm through Angels and they started outside.

"Yeah take praise from a guy whose kids are gonna be named after make-up an fruit." I followed after them.

"Shut the hell up, Sofi ain't that dumb." He shot back over his shoulder.

"I beg to differ." Jack mumbled and pulled into step beside me.

"Least I'm gonna get kids ya fairy."

"Ohhhh wow we're back to the fag jokes. How did I know it was gonna turn into this?"

Jerry rolled his eyes and beeped his care open, "Y'all gotta shut the hell up while I drive a'ight?"

"What you forget the way, Jer?" I smirked from the passenger's seat.

"Naw, I'm afraid y'alls stupidity might infect me an make me forget the way."

"Wow, Jer, your come backs get worse and worse by the day." Millie wiggled into the back seat between Jack and Angel and propped her feet up between me and Jerry's seats.

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End file.
